Once again…I have been inspired by one of your emails (or Facebook posts…I can’t remember which it was!) to try something that would never have occurred to me otherwise. Earlier this week it was Car Air Fresheners, today it’s “Boogie Wipes”. I’ll be honest and say I didn’t really know what these were…but I had a pretty good idea based on the name alone.
Boogie wipes when MY kids were small were the sleeves of their shirts! lol! Just kidding!!! Gross. :-) Boogie wipes were plain ole tissues. But after I looked into these new-fangled boogie wipes I could see the appeal. Saline nose wipes that ease the discomfort of kids’ sore, red, runny noses. Not a bad idea. Not a bad idea at all. Especially considering in 2011 the company reached $10 million in sales with products sold in 50,000 stores across the US and Canada!
But if you’re looking for a less expensive, more eco-friendly alternative….consider making your own. :-)
Since I don’t really have a need for boogie wipes at this stage of my life (let’s face it….if my 13 and 17 year old sons need their noses wiped…they are darn well going to do it themselves!) I decided to make up a couple of batches for two of my nieces who have toddlers at home and are BOTH about the give birth AGAIN! I figure they could use whatever help they can get. :-)
I wanted the gift to be able to “keep on giving” so I decided to go with cloth wipes instead of paper. I bought a package of 4 inexpensive receiving blankets and cut two of them up for the wipes. The other two I will include in a future baby gift. Each blanket gave me 16 good-sized cloth wipes.
Next I needed a container. I didn’t want it to be too big because I’m assuming they will use these when they are “on-the-go” and will need to put them in a purse or diaper bag. I decided these travel soap boxes would do quite nicely.
Originally I figured I could probably fit about 4 in each box…but after they were wet, I was able to smoosh them down enough to include 6 in each box.
The “concoction” I mixed up to soak the wipes in is adapted from Nancy at My Williams Family Est 2004.
Homemade Boogie Wipes
1 cup hot water (preferably distilled)
A pinch of sea salt (I probably used about 1/2 teaspoon)
1 Tablespoon of aloe vera (gel or liquid)
The contents of 2 Vitamin E capsules
3 – 4 drops of lavender essential oil
2 teaspoons witch hazel
Combine all the above ingredients into a small container, then soak pre-folded cloth wipes in the solution. Squeeze out most of the water and place in bar soap box.
I made a “boy” box and a “girl” box because one niece is expecting baby Jack and once niece is expecting baby Layla. :-) Can’t wait!
So now we’re all prepared for WHEN BOOGIE’S ATTACK! But let’s hope for a healthy fall and winter so we won’t be needing them! (Well, we can always HOPE!)
My son and I laughed hysterically at the ‘grape’ scented boogie wipes we saw in the store the other day. While we agreed the idea had merit, who would want to smell grape while wiping your nose. Thank you for taking the time to come up with a home version. I am interested to see what the boys’ reaction will be to these.
My son! I have always bought the sensitive kind but my mom bought a pack of the grape ones and my son (2 at the time) was constantly asking for a grapey wipe. They know their audience!
Who wants to smell grape while wiping their nose? Kids do! Most kids, including mine, hate having their noses wiped…especially when they’re red and chapped from being wiped over and over for days on end. Since buying the grape scented boogie wipes my kids have not protested once. The smell almost acts as a distraction to them and they hardly even notice that I’m wiping their noses anymore. I’m sure these homemade boogie wipes are more economical and “greener” but this is one Mom who will continue buying the grape scented Boogie Wipes after I’ve experienced how much easier they make cold season at our house.
Brilliant! Love all your recipes, and your personality :-) I tell everyone about the SHOUT, works fantastic…so I look forward to making these also :-) TY
I make my own boogie wipes with a piece of cloth and saline nasal spray.
What a great idea! I want to try these! One question though. You said you chose cloth instead of paper, so what would you use as the paper product? Paper towels?
I would say Viva brand paper towels. They are like soft cloth, but a paper towel!
My kids are 14 and 17 so I’m with you on the “they are darn well going to do it themselves” part! Personally, after a kid (or parent) wipes a boogie nose I want nothing to do with touching that thing again so in trash it goes! We used tissues (Puffs are gentle). If mine were babies again, I’d probably still use tissues. I assume since these are reusable the recipient will have to mix up the recipe again after she washes them. I’m a fairly new follower of you here on your blog and Pinterest. I love all the DIY ideas and will be making “Rosemary’s Mint Fabric Softener” as soon as my bottle of Downy runs out. I bought lavender conditioner because Walmart didn’t have much of a selection of scents to choose from.
I have been following your blog everyday and re-pinning when I feel the need. hope that this helps you out some. Seeing these boogies wipes and thinking how this would be a great thing to have around for tear staining on dogs. eye boogers on dogs are sometimes hard to get out. I’m going to try this for the animals. Thank you
Thanks jean! I love re-pins! :-) Great idea on using them for doggie eye boogies! lol
just be super careful with the Eo’s. Dogs and cats are allergic to some of them.
I must say u never stop amazing me- I was literally getting on pinterest just so I could go to your blog and ask u/ or challenge u rather bc my mind was stumped! Both my kids have allergies just 2yr and almost 4 and seem to sneeze every time we get in the car and I’m driving. But not a lil sneeze- snot down to their shoes! I can hand them a tissue most of the time, but they can only do sooo much w 1 tissue. And my daughter would totally use a whole box in 1 sec if I put it where she could reach- but I also wanted a more GREEN solution. I have a bucket in between Their seats for “trash” aka the ziplock bags from breakfast we reuse or sippy cups when empty – the keep or reuse stuff not trash. And I thought maybe I could make something like the paper free towels only tissue size but wet and roll them to dispense like cleaning wipes ? But Receiving blankets will be nice and really I bet I could even leave some dry – and fold up into box to dispense like regular Kleenex too… And I have like 5 million blankets left we don’t use anymore too!
I think a zipped baggie to keep the used wipes is a great idea. I remember when I used to carry a diaper bag I always had one of those for used stuff. :-)
Glad it was a timely topic for you Rebecca! :-) Thanks for your comment!
Amazing! I’ve never heard of these! Of course, there aren’t any little ones in the family..I feel so out of the loop! Hoping someday to have grandchildren….with 4 between the ages of 21 – 35 you think I should be well on my way. Only my oldest is married. But today is a differnet world. If they aren’t ready, they have more brains than I did! LOL I’m pinning this for “hopefully” future use ;)
You are so clever! Love your blog ♥
Have a great day!
*hugs*deb
I went paperless a few months ago so now instead of paper tissues, I use flannel tissues. Just cut squares of flannel material, about 6 x 6, zigzag the edges and you’re good to go. I keep a bunch folded up and in an easily accessible spot for my grandkids – and us too. They’ve worked out fantastic!! Just throw them in with the laundry and you’re good to go again. The more you wash them, the softer they get. You have to cut off the “shreds” around the edge of the material the first couple of times but then they stop doing that and you have nice, soft tissues.
You would think that at this stage of my life I wouldn’t need these either, my kids are 18, 16, and 12. However, I do have 3 shih tzus. I am making these up this week to use on their eyes. because of their smushed up faces, they are notorious for eye drainage and it is a daily struggle to keep them clean and from smelling. Of course, this is easily taken care of when we are home, but they go everywhere with me and it never fails, that when we are out, I will need to clean their eyes. These will be perfect! Thanks!!
My oldest daughter, mommy to a toddler, buys every new gimic in the baby section of Target! She spent her summer vacation with us this year and introduced me to Boogie Wipes. What a sensational idea, I thought! But the ridiculous price tag! I couldn’t believe it.
I love your recipe(s) and I’m going right up to make a batch for the rest of the snot-nosed grandkids who live nearby. I am going to use distilled water and one of the little salt packets that come with one of those nasal irrigation things or netty pot.
My poodle is going to get a good eye wiping too, Tanya!
This looks like a great idea! I have made something similar in the past (for little bums) and if I forgot them in the diaper bag they actually started to mildew. Do you have a problem with these getting funky after time?
Makeup removal/face cleaners for you and the teens in your household is a new twist to this idea. We have too many dirty washcloths from face washing and makeup removal. Doing this with a gauze pad is great idea. I would prefer using something that is inexpensive that could be thrown away because my goal is to reduce laundry as well. At the same time, I think using a fabric would be good. Years ago I purchased Huggies baby wipes in Europe, they were made from gauze instead of paper. They were wonderful. Cleaned 100% better. I called the company when I returned back to US and tried to find the gauze version and was told that they had many manufacturers they purchased from and there was no way to tell me that info. Interesting the package said nothing about them being cotton gauze vs paper. I have recreated those gauze wipes using the medical gauze squares many times. Ideally if you could purchase a larger gauze pad or find a fabric similar in texture that could be washed and re-used would be great.
You didn’t mention finishing the edges, did you use a pinking shears, serge them or zigzag?
Boogie wipes are new to me. I’m thinking in the old days we called these handkerchiefs. Every man, woman and child carried a hanky in their pocket or pocketbook. When I was raising kids, my T-shirt became a wipe so I can see why you’d want to use a soft flannel for a nose wiper. Great idea.
Hi!!! I am not sure if it was specifically me, but I posted the boogie wipes question on your Facebook page a few days ago. I was soooo ecstatic to see this post:)))) I started screeching and my kids were like what is wrong with you. haha! I am going to just pretend it was my question that got you to post this recipe;) I stated it before in my comment on FB but i want to say it again, I love your blog!!!! I tell everyone I can about you:) Thank you for researching the boogie wipes and finding the recipe. I can’t wait to try them. I have three girls and wiping their noses is almost impossible. Boogie wipes make it so much easier because it usually takes just one swipe. BUT they are so expensive! So thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!
Is there a difference in boogie wipes and baby wipes? Do they do something special?
Boogie wipes have saline in them. Makes it much easier to get the stuck on boogies off:-) The store bought boogie wipes are much softer than baby wipes too. I believe they also have moisturizers in them. They are great! That’s why I am so excited to make Jillee’s homemade ones:-)
These look really cool! I would like to try them. When you were reading up on how to make these wipes, did you see any feedback about them getting mold or do these ingredients prevent that sort of thing? I’m always concerned about that.
LOVE this idea! The only thing I would suggest to make them last even longer and be more durable is to zig-zag stitch or serge around the edges. A tight zig-zag would help keep the edges from fraying in the wash–flannel with fray a ton. I make and sell cloth wipes and I prefer serging but obviously not everyone can go that route. We use cloth for boogies (though I am definitely making your solution!), cloth diaper changes, and also in the kitchen.
Do you know what the ‘shelf life’ is on these? I’ve made homemade baby wipes and found that they really can’t last more than a few days in the solution without starting to smell funky and/or get a little musty or moldy.
Thanks!
I was thinking the same thing as I use cloth wipes for my kids and they definitely get funky after a day or two…
Do you put a few drops of tea tree oil in your wipes? Minus leaving them in a hot car (and still only then the top couple started to get yuck) it will keep them from molding and smelling musty. I have had some floating around for a month or more and still fine.
How much Tea Tree Oil did you add?
I like this concoction very much… but a bit surprised about the comments. Maybe because I grew up in a house with handkerchiefs, I carry one with me at all times, gets used and washed, sometimes washed without using just because I like them to be fresh. The great thing about the wet version is that sometimes the nose gets irritated, and all those ingredients will make the misery easier to endure.
I don’t have little ones anymore, not sure when the grandchildren will come, however I do have a nose and if you own one…. eventually there will be boogies (funny name) I can’t imagine adults not jumping on this, specially with so many people complaining of allergies.
I will be using this for me, I’m sure my nose will the thankfull.
As usual – you are BRILLIANT!!!
I am planning to make these with some viva paper towels. How long do you think they will last before getting moldy? I make baby wipes with the paper towels and add several drops of tea tree oil to make sure they keep. Would that be ok to add or should I just plan to make a very small batch to make sure this doesn’t happen. Thank you so much for posting this. I have two sick kiddos right now and had no boogie wipes in the house so I did a frantic search online and up came your site. I would rather make them myself, anyway!
I made these for my son and they got moldy really quickly. Any tips to keep that from happening?
Yes. Don’t put water in them. These will grow bacteria in them in a heartbeat, and you will make your children sicker or infect them with something new. Terrible idea. It’s the water that’s the biggest issue. Water grows mold. Water grows bacteria. Without a proper preservative, the ratio of which none of us can know without extensive testing and time before using, these will not last unrefrigerated more than a few days without becoming dangerous.
Couldnt you keep the solution in a bottle and pour some on a tissue when your ready to use it? That is what I have been told to do with cloth wipes so they dont mold and you just make more solution as it gets old. You also add the tea tree oil to help it not get moldy or stink.
how should these boogie wipes be made if the water isn’t used? i just read the last comment about the length of time these can be kept? (:
I think this is a GREAT idea! I also read the comments about mold and I can see that happening. I think this would be best used if you were going on a long trip and need something like this handy. I’m not sure I would keep in my purse to use for weeks on end. I would make these for a road trip. We are Moms (or pet moms) just use your better judgment. I think Jillee comes up with some amazing ideas and I have tried so many of them already. I love them and this website. Thanks for everything Jillee.
What if you put the mixture into a sealed bottle, then sprayed it onto a napkin/cloth/hankie as needed? That would keep the cloth/tissue from molding, and hopefully minimize bacteria getting into the liquid prior to use.
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What if my daughter is allergic to lavender, can I use chamomile instead
I don’t see why not.
Just wondering why lavender? What about peppermint to help with breathing? :)
This is genius! I go through “boogie wipes” constantly and at around $4 a pack this is such a great idea!
Jillee, What size did you cut the blankets for the soap holder type box?
I can’t remember the exact measurements but the box is made to fit a bar of soap, so I think it’s around 2 inches by 3 inches.
Great idea, just wondering if you serged the edges of that cut cloth, or left it raw…?
So to keep them from molding….. keep them in the fridge? And how much tea tree oil should be added to the above measurements? How long do you think these will hold and be effective in the fridge? One suggestion said to make it without water…. really?
I LOVE this idea for my little guys nose. Just need some clarifications. THANKS!!
I’d say a few to 6 drops of TT oil, you can also use Witch Hazel “tea” ( soak the herb in water for a few days.) it inhibits mold growth.
I’m having a hard time finding Vitamin E Capsules. I see soft gels, will those work? Or I found Vitamin E drops…do you know how much of the liquid Vitamin E drops would work? I have a son who’s sick right now and we’ve gone through many containers of Boogie Wipes already this week. :(
The soft gels will work if you can get them open and empty the contents out. I would use maybe a teaspoon of the drops.
Can I make these without the witch hazel? I dont have any and when I went to the store to get some, they were out! I have a little one with a very sore nose, who would appreciate some nice, soft wipes! Also, as a tip to others…I plan on using old fleece scraps which dont fray at all! They tend to repel moisture, but if you squeeze the liquid in to the fabric, it will work…its what I’ve been doing with saline the past few days : )
You can, the witch hazel is great for reducing redness and inflammation, but there are other ingredients in the recipe that should help with that too.
I always thought boogie wipes were silly. So thankful for a DIY version! :)
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because of the water used MOLD, BACTERIA and YEAST can/will grow! Best if you use a cosmetic preservative such as Polyaminopropyl Biguanide formally known as Cosmocil CQ for safety of the product and your child. Anything that contains water requires a preservative to keep it safe.